2013 Ford F-150 problems & reliability
2,969 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford F-150, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
53 complaints report injuries (64 injured, 4 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Ford F-150 vehicles were involved in 369 fatal crashes with 135 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 1,329 | 45% |
| Engine | 545 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 319 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 318 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 299 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 224 | 8% |
| Steering | 216 | 7% |
| Visibility/wiper | 146 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 130 | 4% |
| Visibility | 50 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 45,000 and 111,125 miles), based on 2,156 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Right front brake continuously freezes up making impossible to drive safely. ABS does not show any default or warnings. Truck shakes all over. Had rotors, calibers, and brake pads replied, but right side brake continues to freeze up. Brake lines checked and show no signs of collapse.”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 3, 2026
“When backing up in reverse the parking camera goes black and this is a safety issue. It happens multiple times.”
Back Over Prevention · filed Aug 2, 2026
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection and was nearly involved in a crash. The vehicle restarted after approximately three minutes. The contact stated that the failure recurred on a second occasion. No…”
Power Train · filed Jul 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Unexpected Transmission Downshift
Recall Query RQ17010 · opened Dec 25, 2017 · closed Oct 22, 2019 · led to recall 19V075000
- Master Cylinder External Leak
Preliminary Evaluation PE16003 · opened Feb 29, 2016 · closed Jul 26, 2016 · led to recall 16V345000
- Reduced power during hard acceleration
Preliminary Evaluation PE13018 · opened May 22, 2013 · closed Apr 7, 2014
Technical service bulletins
141 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford F-150. The 10 most recent:
Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
25H05 S1 · Other · issued Apr 29, 2026
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently…
25H05 · Other · issued Nov 19, 2025
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles…
TSB 24-2188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Some 2011-2024 Mustang and F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit a tick tap and/or typewriter ticking noise at idle after an engine oil change. It is often referred to as typewriter noise because of its…
SSM 52334 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some 2013-2014 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine may require service to the brake vacuum pump. The brake vacuum pump removal and installation procedure in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 206-07, has…
SSM 50876 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2022
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 22-2219 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Ford F-150 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Ford F-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.